World War II souvenir becomes family heirloom, and later a national treasure

As a teenager, Deany Keith’s brother was part of the brigade to storm Normandy Beach in WWII. While he marched through France and into Germany, he stumbled across an interesting war souvenir–a German parachute. He sent it home to his family for safekeeping. Little did young Deany know that this souvenir would play a significant role on the most important day of her life.

When Deany became engaged shortly after the war ended, material was scarce. Recalling the parachute  was made of silk,  Deany’s mother used it to make her daughter a beautiful wedding gown.

Today Deany, 93, lives at Country Meadows of York. To help others learn from the past and understand the bravery and sacrifices of Americans during WWII, Deany donated the wedding dress to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, La., where it will be on display.